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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · leaves · cue · shower · rash · mark · field · clip

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rash — hasty
  4. field — farmland
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rest — a break
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. field — a subject
  12. mark — a grade
  13. shower — to wash
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rash — a series
  16. clip — for paper
  17. field — for sport
  18. clip — a video
  19. rest — what's left
  20. clip — to cut
  21. cue — a hint
  22. shower — rain
  23. mark — a trace
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com